The present invention relates to the input/output control of images in an image processing system. More particularly, the present invention pertains to the control of transfer and input/output of images in an image registering system.
In a typical conventional image processing system, a code for identification of a particular operator, that is, an ID code, is set for image data per document or file which consists of a group of documents so that the document or file image data cannot be output unless this ID code is input through a keyboard, thereby preventing a leak of secret image data.
Whether or not a document is permitted to be displayed is determined per page (i.e., per image or per frame of a display), and an operator who does not know the ID code cannot display the image on a display nor output it through a printer.
In a typical conventional image registering system, when secret image data stored in a memory, that is, image data having an ID code associated therewith, is to be revised, or an imprint of a seal is to be applied to approve the contents of the image data, this secret image data is output onto a sheet of paper through a printer according to instructions given by an operator having the ID code and the printed paper is imprinted with a seal and, thereafter, the image data thus output is re-input to the image registering system by means of a scanner. In this case, two image data, i.e., the image data before revision, that is, the original image data, and the image data after revision, must be controlled in the image registering system, which leads to problems. In order to avoid the double image data control, it is attempted in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-155256 (1988) to electronically revise or approve image data stored in a memory without outputting it onto a sheet of paper. In this prior art system, an image which is to be revised, for example, is displayed on a display, and a region of the image which is to be revised is designated with a mouse or other similar means. Then, image data for revision, for example, an imprint of a seal, a signature, a comment, etc., is input to the region to be revised so as to be mixed with the original image before the revision, thereby revising or approving the image.
The above-described prior art suffers, however, from the following problems. Since a partial region of one image cannot be kept secret, a plurality of persons who know the ID code can revise or approve not only approval or revise regions of their own but also the other persons' approval or revise regions in the same image, which leads to problems. Further, the prior art gives no satisfactory consideration to prevention of falsification of approved or revised images and avoidance of double control of images before and after approval.
In order to overcome the above-described disadvantages of the prior art, the inventors of the present invention filed an application on Jun. 22, 1988 as Japanese Patent Application No. 63-152289 (1988) in which a partial region is set in one image as desired and an ID code is input to output this partial region, thereby enabling a partial region of one image to be kept secret.
Further, the present inventors have found that, if a partial region of one image can be kept secret, it is possible for a plurality of persons to electronically revise or approve images without creating any problems.